1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to auxiliary equipment for small boats, and more particularly to such equipment adapted to provide seating, storage and flotation for boats, such as canoes.
2. Discussion of Related Art
For many years, the sport of canoeing, for example, has been a popular pastime because canoes are versatile and may be used for pleasure boating in many environments. For those enthusiasts who are properly trained, canoes make an ideal and exciting mode of transportation along treacherous rivers and streams. Often, canoe enthusiasts go on extended trips which require that supplies, such as camping gear and a quantity of food, be taken along. Thus, it is desirable to keep these supplies dry and in good condition during the entire trip and ensure that they will not be lost in the event that the canoe tips over.
Many canoes are manufactured with little, if any, flotation built in; therefore, it is desirable to supply or increase the flotation so that the canoeist can safely cling to the canoe in the event of a mishap. In order to increase the flotation, some canoeists have taken ordinary plastic jars and affixed them to the ends of the canoe by pouring foam around them. Also, commonly available expanded foam flotation devices can be purchased and attached to the canoe. However, these devices share the defect that they take up valuable space within the canoe, which space could otherwise be used for storage of gear and supplies.
When canoeing in relatively rough water, the control that the canoeist has over the craft is determined in large part by his or her weight distribution within the craft in combination with the control obtained by proper manipulation of the canoe paddle. In order to be fully in control of the canoe, the canoeist should be able to brace himself or herself within the boat at all times. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have some device by which the canoeist can be braced within the canoe and yet free to move in order to distribute his or her weight.